David Santiago spends most workdays in charge of conditions at dozens of Manhattan subway stations.

But today, his job involves seeing musical concerts — 70 of them, each about five minutes long.

Mr. Santiago is a judge at the annual tryouts for Music Under New York, the subway system’s program that reserves prime underground spots for preferred acts.

Today, you can watch too: The auditions run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Vanderbilt Hall inside Grand Central.

Mr. Santiago, a general superintendent for station environment and operations, has seen plenty of musical talent blossom in his 35 years working in the subway system.

“When I was at Grand Central,” he said, “there was a gentleman named David who’d mix music — he had two turntables. People would ask about certain kinds of music and he would start mixing it in.

“And since he was spinning, I was able to notice as he got better and better.”

The judges, Mr. Santiago said, are looking for acts that stand out somehow.

“You’ll want classical music, Middle Eastern music, maybe a harp player, and you’ll have the bluesy kind of guy who plays a saw — he’s got a drum he beats with his foot, but he knows what he’s doing and people move with him.”

Here’s what else is happening:

WEATHER

It’s foggy out there. Make sure to turn your fog lights on, toot your foghorns, or trot out any other fog gear.

The rain is coming: It could fall all day, possibly switching it up with showers and thunderstorms, but the high is 77.

It will most likely rain between 9 a.m. and noon, so you might want to get to work early today.

This week in 1921, a new musical opened on Broadway, with the distinction, The New York Times wrote, “of being written, composed and played entirely by negroes.”

It was called “Shuffle Along,” featured music by the ragtime composer Eubie Blake, and, according to The Times, the entire show was “extremely crude, in writing, playing and direction” despite Blake’s “swinging and infectious score.”

Critics notwithstanding, the show became a landmark in American theater and launched the career of Josephine Baker and the standards “I’m Just Wild About Harry” and “Love Will Find a Way.”

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